Could the Bears have used linebacker Roquan Smith against the Cincinnati Bengals during a first quarter that likely would’ve been the outer limit of his playing time in preseason Game 2? Obviously. John Timu was beaten badly, and Nick Kwiatkoski was not a factor early. Which says that the Bears could also have been well served to have Danny Trevathan available as well. All moot, with Trevathan working back from a pre-camp hamstring issue, and Smith and the Bears in negotiations best described at this point as stagnant.
But as the Smith non-contract drama lurches along, dire predictions and assessments of the holdout are inevitable.